New Magnolia House goes beyond ice cream

ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – The Magnolia Ice Cream House was a hit among children of the '80s and '90s who, today, are parents themselves.

For years, happy memories were created in this iconic ice cream parlor at New Manila in Quezon City as families bonded over a serving of Peach Melba or Ernie and Bert. That’s why it was no surprise that many were saddened when it closed shop more than a decade ago.

Fast forward to 2012, the Magnolia Ice Cream House stands once again, this time as part of a newly opened mall owned by the Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corp.

Renamed the Magnolia Flavor House, the glass-encased ice cream establishment is only a few steps away from the main building of the Robinsons Magnolia mall.

As it holds its grand launch on Thursday, October 18, the Magnolia Flavor House hopes to create more memories with the kids and grandkids of their previous customers.

Still on soft opening, the Magnolia Flavor House will hold its grand launch on Thursday, October 18. Photo by Karen Flores, ABS-CBNnews.com

Keeping up

While it automatically appeals to old customers, the Magnolia Flavor House may have a hard time attracting younger visitors who now have multiple dining and dessert options.

Also noteworthy is the emergence of several artisanal shops that offer flavors ranging from unique to downright weird, as well as the entry of global ice cream franchises such as Swensen’s.

To keep up with the changing times, the Magnolia Flavor House is offering not just parfaits and sundaes, but also burgers, sandwiches, pasta and other hot home-style dishes.

The Magnolia Flavor House's new menu features a mix of hot and cold treats. Photo by Karen Flores, ABS-CBNnews.com

“Besides the ice cream, we now have hot meals like the pizza, which is very affordable,” Jasmin Lucio, franchise and operations manager of the Magnolia Flavor House, told ABS-CBNnews.com. “We also have rice meals, and they always keep coming back for our burgers.”

Desserts get a boost

There are also new desserts named after superheroes, such as the Avenger’s Fruity Energy Cereals, Amazing Batman’s Brownie Overload and Thor’s Almighty Crepe, which are all targeted at children.

Asian-inspired items such as the Ice Kacang Supreme, the Magnolia Flavor House’s take on the Malaysian iced dessert, are also served here.

“Although the customers are still looking for the Ernie and Bert so nilabas pa rin namin sila,” Lucio said.

Another new addition to the Magnolia Flavor House is a "teppanyaki" area, where customers can choose which food items will be included in their cold desserts. Photo by Karen Flores, ABS-CBNnews.com

The Magnolia Ice Cream House’s signature product, the old-fashioned Banana Split, meanwhile got a makeover with the help of chocolate. “It’s different now kasi before, the Banana Split is only the banana with the ice cream. Now, we coated the banana with chocolate,” Lucio said.

For those who want to have their ice cream mixed with nuts, candies and other sweets, the Magnolia Flavor House now has a “teppanyaki” area similar to what is found in other dessert shops.